EXTENDED REVIEW: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" (2023)

Courtesy Sony 2023

WRITER'S NOTE: The following was originally posted on my Instagram page @be.kerian on June 4, 2023. 

Once in a blue moon, an animated feature comes along that changes the course of the medium moving forward. Walt Disney did this several times, with his inaugural Snow White (1937), followed by Fantasia (1940) and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), to name a few. UPA experimented with different techniques for their countless short films, including Gerald McBoing Boing (1950). And let's not forget the cutting-edge animation combined with live-action in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), the stop-motion effects of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and the computer animation of Pixar's Toy Story (1995). 

On the flip side, there are two kinds of superhero films (and films in general): those that follow a conventional and/or predictable narrative, and those that are subversive and take unexpected detours. Most films land under the former category. But Sony Animation's Spider-Verse franchise isn't most films. If 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse represented a living comic-book (blending 2D and 3D effects), then the 2023 follow-up, Across the Spider-Verse, blows the roof off of the entire animation medium. Watching this explosion of color, creativity, imagination, artistry, and a powerful story, I can't help but wonder how many screenplay drafts and concept art the filmmakers went through to get to the final cut. 

More importantly, this darker chapter never sacrifices its beating heart under all the spectacle. And believe me, there's a lot of insane spectacle, not to mention several frenetic, mind-blowing action sequences that happen fast. (The film is not recommended for audiences with photo-sensitivities and epilepsy.) Standout new characters include a "Mumbattan" (Mumbai and Manhattan combined) resident Pavitr Prabhakar (voiced by Karan Soni), British punk rocker Hobie Brown (voiced by Daniel Kaluuya), and Peter B. Parker's infant daughter Mayday. The pregnant Jessica Drew (voiced by Issa Rae) is also cool. 

Courtesy Sony 2023

But Across the Spider-Verse is really about the continuing stories of teenagers Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld), each struggling back in their own dimensions and trying to make sense of their respective realities, secret identities, and responsibilities. But when a mysterious supervillain, known as the Spot (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), shows up in Miles' world and Miles soon discovers a portal to a multiverse where literally every version of Spider-Man lives (including the pessimistic and futuristic Miguel O'Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac) . . . Let's just say we're in for a wild ride. (And this is only the first-half of a reported two-part story arc a la Infinity War and Endgame, complete with a gut-punch of a cliffhanger. Beyond the Spider-Verse is scheduled for release next spring.)

The story also emphasizes how difficult being a parent can be (whether we're talking about Captain Stacy, or Jefferson Davis and Rio Morales), and just as well for being part of an immigrant family (Miles is Afro-Latino). Other themes include fate, destiny, disappointment, and the consequences of certain choices and/or mistakes. "I can do all these things," laments one character, "and I can't help the people I love the most." I also found a familiar theme that unintentionally calls back to 1989's Batman: does the villain make the hero, or does the hero make the villain? 

The folks at Sony Animation have really outdone themselves by creating new software and technology to further blend the mediums of hand-drawn and computer animation, given the film's highly-ambitious and complicated narrative. And there are, no doubt, clever appearances galore, as well as powerful hero moments. This is proof that animation is not only art, but also very cinematic and deep. (Did I mention dope as well?) For younger kids, however, this isn't a recommended pic due to its heavy drama, knuckle-punching action, and surprising language choices. Parents should also be aware of a couple of blink-and-you'll-miss-them images related to LGBTQ topics (a poster over a bedroom door reads, "Protect Trans Kids," and a Pride pin is on an officer's jacket). This makes me wonder if there's some kind of agenda going on underneath all this. (Read more about these elements here.) For everyone else, this will most likely be one of 2023's standout pics by the end of the year.

REVIEW COLLECTION: The Nolan Files, Part II

WRITER'S NOTE: The following reviews were originally posted on my Instagram page @be.kerian in July of 2023. The Dark Knight Rises is not included, as that's in a category of its own. (Read more here.) 

Courtesy WB 2010

Inception (2010) 

On the heels of the blockbuster success that was The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan opened the decade with an original concept he had been developing for ten years: a heist thriller set inside people's dreams. Leonardo DiCaprio (in his first major box-office release since Titanic) leads an all-star cast, as expert thief Cobb, who accepts a job offer to clear his criminal record and reunite with his family. For this mission, instead of stealing an idea from his subject's conscience, he has to plant one inside the mind of a wealthy businessman's son. 

The film is a visual marvel, but almost always maintains a level of grounded if heightened reality. (Standout sequences include a gravity-defying hallway fight, and a freight train coming out of nowhere on a raining street.) The narrative is complex and unconventional, with layers upon layers of story and worldbuilding (including dreams-within-dreams, and dreams-withing-dreams-within-dreams), including some trippy origami effects. And Hans Zimmer's composition, "Time," just may be his most unforgettable score in a Nolan feature. 

Inception shares a few things in common with Paul Thomas Anderson's ensemble epic, Magnolia, in that two ideas are being told: one about the aforementioned central mission; the other, a more personal and tragic story, regarding Cobb's past emotional baggage and unethical choices. This includes the cost of manipulation, being out of touch with reality, and wanting to come back to it. Plus, the bruising symbolism of trains (with depressing references to suicide) and dreams/ideas collapsing (a la the Tower of Babel) culminate in a cautionary tale that says not every "leap of faith" is beneficial or constructive. This is a deep, immersive, and bleak experience. Prepare to have your mind blown in more ways than one.

Courtesy Paramount 2014

Interstellar (2014) 

Transitioning from a superhero tentpole to an epic science-fiction adventure is no easy feet. But Christopher Nolan managed to do just that with this mesmerizing and haunting pick. At the height of a career resurgence, Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, a widowed father, engineer, and former pilot, who lives with his family in a dust bowl community on earth. One day, he's called in by mysterious agents to headline a special mission into space to find possible new planets for the remaining residents of a dying earth. As the film's tagline reads, "Mankind was born on earth. It was never meant to die here." 

One of several films this decade to revive interest in the space race (along with Gravity and The Martian), Interstellar predicts a future that tries to rewrite (or, "correct") NASA's lunar landings of the 20th Century, while also being inspired by the real-life U.S. Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The narrative and tone recalls previous genre staples like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 

This is an ambitious feature with incredible realism, immersive worldbuilding, and stunning imagery (cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema shot some incredible footage with state-of-the-art IMAX camera). The sight of the eponymous black hole is cutting-edge (consultant and physicist Kip Thorne reportedly provided the mathematics to the visual effects team, and in turn wrote an entire thesis on their results). Composer Hans Zimmer created one of his most distinct and unconventional film scores; instead of typical strings and horns, Zimmer used church organs. The result is both mysterious and wondrous). 

Maybe the overall film is a little pretentious, not to mention secular and scientific. But it's also an emotional and provocative journey that illustrates life on earth versus life "in the stars." At its center is a profound and heartbreaking story about a father and daughter across years. As Cooper tells us, "Once you're a parent, you're the ghost of your children's future." Wow. 

Courtesy WB 2017

Dunkirk (2017) 

In the second-half of the decade, Nolan turned his attention to the war genre with this true story of the evacuation of 400,000 men on the beaches of Dunkirk during World War II. Not since Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line, and Clint Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima, has the genre been given such a radical approach. 

Dunkirk intercuts three stories at once, each in different time durations: spitfire pilots in the air (1 hour), civilians in rescue boats at sea (1 day), and the aforementioned soldiers on land (1 week). Each segment is shot in stunning IMAX, with thousands of extras and real period aircrafts. 

While performances in Nolan's films are generally superb, they more often go underappreciated. Dunkirk features some of his best, including Mark Rylance as a determined civilian charting one of the rescuing lifeboats, Tom Hardy as a spitfire pilot (with half of his face is covered for most of the film, yet emoting so much through his eyes), Cillian Murphy as a traumatized officer, and Fionn Whitehead (in an impressive debut) as a young soldier. Some of them are strong examples of ordinary people (not just those in the armed forces) giving their lives for others. 

Released the same year as Joe Wright's compelling biopic about Winston Churchill (Darkest Hour), Dunkirk is gripping, powerful, and poetic. It may just be Nolan's greatest cinematic achievement to date. It's arguably his most hopeful. 

TRIVIAL FACT: Years ago, I ranked Sam Mendes' WWI drama 1917 (also a great film) as one of the best of the decade. In retrospect, Nolan's bold and ambitious WWII feature stands strongest. (Filmmaker Damien Chazelle regards it as one of the greatest films he's ever seen.) 

Courtesy WB 2020

Tenet (2020) 

It's incredible that, within the span of two decades, Christopher Nolan has gone from directing low-budget psychological thrillers to large-scale blockbusters. Tenet marks his fifth feature to use IMAX technology, and is his most complex and complicated film to date. The plot, this time, centers around the concept of time inversion. (That is, time reversal, not travel. There's a difference.) 

The film wastes no time getting right into action, as the mysterious Protagonist (a commanding John David Washington) survives a near-death experience and soon accepts a race-against-the-clock mission--teaming up with Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debecki--to stop a potential nuclear Holocaust. In short, it's international espionage, but with metaphysics. 

While it's not for everybody (again, the plot is very hard to follow, and there are harsh elements of abusive power), there's no denying that Tenet is an edge-of-your-seat experience, with flooring and explosive IMAX photography, booming surround sound (including Ludwig Gorannson's nail-biting score), and mind-blowing practical effects that truly make you wonder, "How did they do that?!?" Highlights include a major stunt involving a 747 plane, a high-octane chase across a speeding highway, and an inverted fight sequence in a secure hallway. And just wait until the climax!

Scheduled for release in 2020, this was one of several theatrical releases that was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many had hoped this would be the film to bring audiences back into theaters, until it underperformed. Movie theaters wouldn't see another major hit until Sony/Marvel's Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Paramount's long-awaited Tom Cruise-starring sequel Top Gun: Maverick (2022). (Reportedly, Cruise loved Nolan's film as well.) I can't think of any other film that has been made like this before, whether it's actually brilliant or just pretentious. 

TRIVIAL FACT: This marks only the third time (after 2000's Memento and 2006's The Prestige) in which a song plays over the end credits of a Nolan film.